Gaseous fuel generator



DeC- 18, 1934-' R. v. WELHOEFER GSEOUS FUEL GENERATOR Original Filed July 29, 1932 51 Il Y .HTTRNE'Y Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED,

VcfAsEoUs FUEL. GENERATOR 'Robert v. Welhoefer, waterloo, wis.

Reled for abandoned application Serial No.

626,182, July'29, 1932. This applicationDecember 4`, 1933, 'Serial No. 700,834v f .,afclainfm.A (or. zei- 124) This application is a substitutel for my prior application, Serial `No. 700,834, filed December 4, 1933.

My invention relates to'devices for generating v a fuel compound for use in internalcombustion engines, inwhich devices a stream of air is passed through a body of gasoline to become-saturated with the vapors of them-latter." The atmosphere when thus charged with a Afuel content possesses a very high explosive quality, and is completely combustible, without residue. Practice of my invention in connection with the operation of an automobile, achieves great reduction in the amount of gasoline consumed, and enablesav greater mileage to be attained, with a given quantity ofthe raw fuelused.,` kTheinvention resides in an attachment applicable to lany type of .power plant in which ,an internalpcombustion engine SllScd. Suchinvention isembodied in a tubular or cylindrical `chamber closed at .b oth ends, in which is` arranged a oat and valve tocontro'l the quantity of gasolineadmitted to the cylinder vto, main-A tain a desired level of raw fuel. 1 Air from the outside is conducted by a tubeextending from the top of the chamber and discharged into the gasa--` linevsupply at the bottom thereof, so as to impregnatethe stream of air with the vapors of thegasoline. An outlet leadingpfrom the chamber conducts the saturated atmosphere to the intake manifold of the engine, by which it is distributedto the firing chambers. of the engine.l IThe submerged lower endof the air inlet tube is shielded so as to break the force ofthe in-` coming stream of air, and prevent displacement of the body of gasoline in the chamber, and justf above the outlet end of the tube,'the latter is provided withA a deflector or breaker which is formed so asto direct the spray against the iin-v ner walls of the chamber, to breakV upV the" raw fuel and effect aV more thorough lsaturation of the stream of air. f

The chamber isprovided upon its inside withv a baie of peculiar construction, againstwhich the gasoline agitated by the passage of lthe atmosphere therethrough will be thrown, and which serves to restrain the splashingigasoline' from en= tering into the upper part ofthe chamber, and from being drawninto the intake manifold, with the result that only a small quantity of the raw fuel is consumed in the operation of producing the gaseous fuel compound. A second baiile,`arranged above that first described, supplements the action ofthe latter,

and serves as a further check upon the passage of raw fuel from the cylinder. i

Means are provided for attaching the free end of the air inlet tube to the exhaust manifold,l or other part ofthe engine, so as to heat the stream of air before it is passed into the gasoline in thek chamber.

These, and'other novel features of construc-y tionzwill now be described in connection with the accompanying drawing, and in the claims appended hereto, I have set forth the novelty residing in the invention.`

In vvthe accompanying drawing:

yFigure 1 is afverticaltcentral.sectional view of a device constructed in accordance withmyinvention, parts thereof being` shown in full lines. Fg.,2 is atransverse. sectional view on the line 2 2., Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3.is"a bottomplan View of the inner memberV of the `shield used to break the force of the incomingstreamcf air; and

Fig.,. 4l is a bottom plan view of the outer member of "the shieldyand showing means whereby it is held in concentric `position and providing for" the circulation .of gasoline therethrough.

s In}the drawing, the numeral 'lO'indicates a tubular or cylindrical chamber, elongated in about the proportionstshown, and preferably constructedsofgglass, although obviously such charnber may be'made of any suitable, impervious material. The endsv ofthe chamber are closed by capsxll and 12provid'ed withxopposed circular fiangesl and 1,4forming recesses in which theV endsV ofthe chamberl are entered. Gaskets appliedtothef ends of the chamber andconned by-thef capsv 11'. and 12, serve to seal the chamber againstfleakage at, the joints.

The'caps. 11' and 12 are provided with axially aligne'djbores. The bore in the cap l1 is passed over the externally threaded upper end of .a tube 15,. the purposes ofxwhich will 'hereinafter be de. scribed.J The lower end offthe. tube 15 is shown as. threaded 'interiorly `andi thev threads are adapted to be' engaged by` a headed screw 16, passedV through'the bore in the capilZ. A nut 17 is threaded upon'the` projecting upper end of the tube 15, so thatlwhen thefs'crew 16 and nut 17 are engaged withthetube 15, the latter will be placed :under tension, andth'ercaps 11 and 12 willr be maintained Vinsealing position upon the chamber f10. 'Washers 18 and 19 may take the thrust, ofthe screw` 16 and the nut 1'7,`by bearing upon theout'er sides ofthe caps 1l and 12.

The caps 11- and 12 are provided with outwardly extending bosses and 21, which are bored radially and threaded for the reception of screws 22 and 23, the said screws being passed through spaced openings in a bracket 24, of any suitable form, by which the device may be supported in suitable position in relation to the engine which it is to serve.

A nipple 25 threaded at one endis engaged in a bore in the cap 12, and connected at its other end by a small duct 26, leading from the gasoline tank, or other raw fuel supply. A crown nut 27 is threaded upon the end of the nipple projecting at the inside of the cap 12, the crown of the nut being bored to receive the pin 28 of a needle valve, the point of which co-operates with the bore of the nipple. The nut 27 is transversely bored and threaded for the reception of a screw 29, passed throughl an opening in the plate 30 of a hinge upon which the iioat 31 is mounted, theA screw 29 being accessible through the bore in the boss 21. The other hinge plate 32 is attached to the float 3l, and is provided with a rearwardly extending nnger 33, the tip end of which rests upon the pin 2S, and serves to close the needle valve against the admission of gasoline into the chamber 10, when the float 31 is buoyed by the body of gasoline already in the chamber.

Near its lower end, and just above the end of the screw 16, the tube 15 is provided with a plurality of perforations 15', opening intothe inner member 34 of the shield. The lower end of the member 34 is provided withan opening having the diameter of the screw 16, so that when the lower end of the tube 15 is inserted in the member 34, the tube will rest upon the bottom of the latter, and be clamped in position by the action of the screw. The second member 35 of the shield is a short tubular member provided at its lower end with inturned ngers 36, on which the bottom of the member 34 is adapted to rest, and maintain the member 35 in concentric relation with the member 34. The float 31 is provided with a central opening, somewhat larger than the diameter of the member 35, so as to allow the necessary rocking movement of the float. The shield also protects the float from being disturbed by the air pressure.

The nut 17 is provided upon one side with a projecting nipple 37, to which is coupled a tube 38, attached at its other end by means of a threaded connection 39, to a bell 40. The latter may by any suitable means be attached to the exhaust manifold or other heat radiating part of the en-` gine. The bell is provided with a plurality of perforations 41, the purpose of which is to admit a volume of outside air to the bell, so that such air may be preheated and then conducted through the connections described to the tube 15, and discharged therefrom through perforations 15', into the body of gasoline in the lower part of the chamber 10. The inrush of air is due to the suction of the engine, and when discharged produces a violent agitation of the body of gasoline in the chamber. The draft thus induced would be suflicient to displace the body of gasoline, and defeat the purposes of the invention were it not for the interpositioning of the shield, as before described, which serves to break the force of the incoming stream of air. By thus checking the draft, the body of gasoline is considerably stabilized, and an opportunity is afforded for a more thorough charging of the incoming'atmosphere with the vapors of the gasoline. To prevent the incoming air from blowing the gasoline too far upwardly with respect to the chamber 10, I provde upon the tube 15', slightly above the shield, a deflector or breaker 42 of inverted conical form, Which serves to deflect the gasoline from its upward course, and dash it against the inside wall of the chamber, thus agitating and breaking up the gasoline so that the asmosphere commingling with the latter may become better saturated with the vapors of the gasoline. i

An outlet connection 43 through the cap 11, will permit the passage of the charged atmosphere from the chamber 10, to the intake manifold of the engine, connection between the outlet 43 and the manifold being made at any suitable point on the latter. A check valve should be placed in the oulet 43, to prevent back-ring.

To restrain the undue splashing of the gasoline, and confine it substantially to a lower portion of the chamber, I insert about midway of the chamber a at baffle 44, having a depending circular flange 45, of a diameter about equal to that of the inside of the chamber, and engaged loosely with the wall of the chamber. The center of the battle 44 is cut away to provide a flanged circular opening 46, through which the charged atmosphere may rise around the tube 15, in the suction of the engine. A second baffle 47, in the form of a bowl having a circular opening 48 at its center may be supported by its flanged rim at the upper end of the chamber 10, and clamped in position by the cap 11. The outgoing charged atmosphere will pass through the circular openings 46 and 48, around the? tube, and out from the chamber through the outlet 43. Any of the unabsorbed liquid fuel which may pass the baffles will work back into the bottom of the chamber 10. I have shown the baffle 44 as supported from the baffle 47 by means of a plurality of links 40, having hooks at their upper ends which enter openings near the rim of the baffle 47. The lower ends of the links 49 are passed through perforations in the baiiie 44, and the latter is maintained in proper position by jamb nuts 50, threaded on the depending ends of the links 49. The baille 44 may be supported from its underside. The inlet tube 38 may be covered with an asbestos or other heat conserving jacket 51, as may also be the outlet 43.

In the construction and operation of kmy device, the flow of raw fuel through the inlet 26, is governed by the float controlled valve, so as to maintain a constant quantity in the chamber. The stream of air drawn through the tube 15, and discharged from the lower end of the latter into the body of gasoline, agitates such gasoline so violently that the stream of air becomes impregnated with'the vapors of the gasoline, and is thus provided with a fuel content having a powerful explosive quality. The combustion of this saturated atmosphere is complete, and there is no carbon deposit from the same. Considerable use of my invention in connection with the operation of an automobile, establishes a superior mileage, with a resultant decrease in the cost of fuel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. A gaseous fuel generator for use in internal combustion engines, such generator comprising a chamber adapted to contain a quantity of gasoline, means for conducting gasoline into the said chamber, and means for controlling the inflow of gasoline to maintain' a level of the latter in the chamber, an air inlet tube for passing an outside air stream through the gasoline in the chamber to effect saturation of' the air stream with the vapors of the gasoline, a tubular shield at the lower end of the tube to break the force of the air stream and prevent displacement of body of gasoline, a deflector in the form of an inverted cone carried by the said tube acting to dash the gasoline against the vinner Wall of the chamber, and means for conducting the gas charged air to the firing chambers of an engine.

2. A gaseous fuel generator for use in internal combustion engines, such generator comprising a chamber adapted to contain a quantity of gasoline, means for conducting gasoline into the said chamber, and means for controlling the inflow of gasoline to maintain a level of the latter in the chamber, an air inlet tube for passing an outside air stream through the gasoline in the chamber to effect saturation of the air stream with the vapors of the gasoline, a shield at the lower end of the tube to break the force of the air stream and prevent displacement of body of gasoline, a

dei'lector inthe form of an inverted cone carried by the said tube acting to dash the gasoline against the chamber wall, a baille thereover to arrest the splashing of the gasoline, and means for conducting the gas charged air to the firing chambers of an engine.

3. In a device of the character described a liquid fuel container having an air outlet, means for. maintaining a body of liquid fuel at a predetermined` level in said container, an auxiliary chamber within said container partially submerged within and communicating with the body of liquid fuel thus maintained, said chamber having a top opening, means for conducting air to said chamber, means within said chamber for directing the air received from 'said conductor upwardly through the fuel in said chamber to forma fuel spray above said chamber, and means above said chamber for diverting the fuel spray thusformed laterally of said container.

ROBERT V. WELHOEFER. 

